[HPforGrownups] When do werewolves change?

[Jennifer Angliss]

No: HPFGUIDX 53907

At 01:13 AM 03/18/2003 , Mark D. wrote:
>OK, found a critical flaw in Prisoner of Azkaban. Professor Lupin
>does not change into a werewolf until the group emerges from the
>tunnel from the Shrieking Shack. When the clouds part and he sees
>moonlight Lupin morphs.
>Imagine my horror when I thought I found a mistake in JKR's logic
>far worse than the order of Harry's parents emerging from the wands
>in GoF.
>Dumbledore sent Harry and Hermione back at 11:55 "It is five minutes
>to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it."
>This would place Lupin's transformation somewhere around 9:30 to 10.
>Moonrise of the full moon is at 6pm with the moon reaching its
>zenith at 12 and setting at 6 am. Everybody knows that! Lupin should
>have been a werewolf a full three hours before Harry and Hermione
>went back in time!

The full moon does not always rise at 6pm. A full moon rises at 
approximately sunset. Sunset in June in Scotland would be quite late (10pm 
perhaps?) so a full moon rising that late would be perfectly normal.

On the other hand, Buckbeak was to have been executed at sunset and Lupin 
transformed a couple of hours later, so it might just be that the clouds 
parted at the precise instant that the moon became sufficiently full for 
him to transform.


Jennifer